Cigarette package ejector and moistener



4 ML B BY 3 c A a d J. E. POLLACK CIGARETTE PACKAGE EJECTOR AND MOISTENER Filed May 29, 1946 Feb. 14, 1950 Patented Feb. 14, 1950 CIGARETTE PACKAGE EJECTOR AN D MOISTENER Jacob E; Pollack, Dundalk, Ma.

Application May 29, 1946, Serial No. 673,212

. 1v This invention relates to packages and more particularly to cigarette packages having inserts which permit ready removal and humidification of the contents of the package. stiffening containers. or insertshave been proposed having slots or holes covered by the package and adapted, when pressure is applied to the bottom of the container or package,.,to permit a portion of the cigarettes to be raised upwardly and through an opening in the top of the package. None of these devices, however, has made any provision for straightening out the distorted portion of the package to permit ready return of unused cigarettes to the container and as a result the additional cigarettes projected beyond the top of the container are damaged or broken in attempting to return them to the package, particularly when the first two or three cigarettes are removed.

Such proposed structures, furthermore, do not provide humidifying means as a unitary part of. the insert to maintain the tobacco and wrapper for the tobacco in a moist condition to enable them to better withstand pressure on the ends in removing and returning the cigarettes to the package.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cigarette package with an insert containing a resilient portion and humidifying means built as a unit for association with the bottom of a cigarette package to respectively aid in the selective removal of the cigarettes.

Another object is to provide an insert having a resilient portion adapted for association with the bottom of a package so that when pressure is applied to a section of the bottom of the package directly below the resilient portion to deform the bottom of the package, stretch the resilient portion and force several cigarettes upwardly through a preformed Opening in the top of the package, the resilient portion of the insert returns to its initial position and forces the deformed part of the package back to substantially its normal position so the unused cigarettes can be returned into the package.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a humidifier constructed as a part of the insert unit and to saturate the humidifier with the desired humidifying substance, prior to its association with the package, to preserve the moisture i content of the cigarettes in the package and thereby assure better operation of the novel removal means of this invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette package having an insert designed to 2 Claims; (01. 2os 41.2)

iii

provide a humidifying medium within the wrapped package and a resilient area adjacent a bottom corner of the package for returning the bottom wall. to its substantially normal position after it has been pressed in to force a portion of the cigarettes adjacent one edge of the package out of an opening at the top of. the package.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an insert having a resilient portion and a humidifier which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to insert in existing cigarette packages prior to filling, and which requires very little space.

Further objects of the invention will'appear as the description of the invention proceeds with reference to the appended claims and accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a cigarette package having a portion broken away and a portion of the cigarettes removed to show the insert in place;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the cigarette package of Figure 1 with a section broken away to show the resilient portion in use;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of an insert made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4.- is a longitudinal sectional view of the insert taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the flexible section of the insert of Figure 3 taken on line 5'5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view through the humidifier section of the insert of Figure 3 taken on line 66 of Figure 3.

Like reference characters are used throughout the specification to indicate like parts in the several views.

Figures 1 and 2 show a cigarette package Ill having an insert II made in accordance with the present invention in place in the bottom of the package, with the cigarettes resting on top of the insert and having several cigarettes protruding through an opening torn in the top of the package.

While insert H may be formed in any suitable manner it preferably comprises a pair of identical superposed frame members [2 and 13 of thin sheet material such as cardboard or the like provided with openings I4, [6 and I1. The outside edges of members [2 and I3 are designed to snugly engage the inside walls of the package and openings I 4 and I! are closed by thin, resilient members or diaphragms l9 and 2| of any suitable material, such as rubber or the like. Opening I6 is closed by a fibrous sheet 22 of any suitable water absorbing material, such as blotting package as the package is formed in any conventional manner. The packages then pass through the usual channels until they reach the hands;

of the ultimate user.

To make use of this invention the user, as is customary, tears out a small section as indicated at 23 from an end of the top of the package through which cigarettes are extracted when desired. Pressure is then applied to the bottom opposite the open end of the package at a point beneath the resilient member 2| (Figure 2), thereby forcing several cigarettes upwardly through opening 23, making them readily available for withdrawal. When the pressure is removed the resilient member 2| returns to its original position and, in doing so, forces the distorted portion of the paper package back into its original flat shape. After withdrawal of the desired number of cigarettes, the remaining projected cigarettes may then be returned to the package for future use without interference from the distorted bottom and, because of the humidification of the package, without rupture of the cigarette paper which, with the tobacco, is main tained in a more pliable condition.

It will thus be seen that the insert provides the additional moisture necessary to keep the cigarettes fresh and pliable longer, and a resilient member, of simple construction, which facilitates removal of individual cigarettes at the time of use.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which com within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette package comprising a deformable wrapper and a unitary insert in the bottom thereof, said insert comprising a stiff non-deformable frame member having openings adjacent each end and resilient diaphragms closing said effective to displace material within the package thru a preformed opening in the top and the resilience of said diaphragms is operative to restore the bottom of said deformable package substantially to its non-deformed condition.

2. A unitary insert designed to aid in the removal and return of cigarettes to the conventional package comprising a stiff non-deformable frame member adapted to be disposed between the bottom of a cigarette package and the ends of cigarettes therein and having an opening adjacent at least one end and a resilient diaphragm secured to said frame member and covering said opening and adapted to be deflected against said ends of certain of said cigarettes by pressure applied to the bottom of said package overlying said diaphragm to project the cigarettes from the top of the package and to return to its normal position and force the deformed portion of the bottom of the package to its normal position to permit free return of the projected cigarettes to the package.

JACOB E. POLLACK.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 99,764 Doering Feb. 15, 1870 1,448,326 Arnold Mar. 13, 1923 2,052,015 Crosby Aug. 25, 1936 

